Here’s Your Action Plan from Dr. Peter Attia’s 60 MInute Special
This past weekend, many of us watched a powerful story on 60 Minutes about Dr. Peter Attia ... a doctor who studies how to live longer and feel better doing it. If you didn't catch it...here are some of the highlights you missed on the science of longevity and how we can improve our life decade by decade...
We can’t just add years to our life… we need to add life to our years.
Here are the biggest takeaways and how they connect to what we do at BCS Fitness...
1. Don’t Just Live Longer — Live Better
Dr. Attia says most people lose half their strength and energy by their 70s. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The choices we make now...how we move, eat, and train...decide what the last 10–15 years of our life will look like. Yes, the choices we make in our 40's, 50's, and 60's matter BIG time.
Not that it is ever "too late" to start improving your health...but much like saving financially for retirement, starting at 55 vs 25 ...the compounding effect of multiple years and decades of discipline pays off tenfold vs. what we can achieve starting later in life.
2. Strength Training Is the Key
Muscle keeps you young. It protects your bones, keeps your balance sharp, and helps your metabolism stay strong.
Dr. Attia says lifting weights is one of the best things anyone over 40 can do. At BCS Fitness, this is why we focus on smart, safe strength training for real life.
3. Conditioning Still Matters
Your heart and lungs need training too. Dr. Attia mixes steady-pace workouts (he calls it “Zone 2”) with short, higher-effort bursts (similar to what we program at the studios on the bike/row erg/ski erg.) Both help your body handle stress and stay fit for everyday life.
If you wanted to make an assessment in your conditioning...adding Zone 2 cardio would be a great start. This would be like a 45 minute hike with a weight vest, a 30 minute easy run, or a ride on your Peloton bike at a heart rate of 60%-70% your max predicted heart rate (220-Your Age = Your Max Predicted Heart Rate.)
4. Eat for Muscle, Not Just Weight
Protein helps your body build and protect muscle. Dr. Attia suggests aiming for plenty of lean protein each day... think chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, or protein shakes.
Food is fuel for a longer, stronger life.
5. Stay Social and Manage Stress
Being active with friends, sleeping well, and spending time outdoors all improve your healthspan...the part of your life when you feel great and can do what you love.
Your Next Step
Ask yourself:
Am I training to stay strong for the next 10 years?
Do I feel confident I can move, play, and travel easily as I get older?
If you’re not sure...let’s check together. At your next session, we can do a quick strength and movement review to see where you’re at and help you build your own “longevity plan.”
Let’s keep building strength for life...not just for now.
In Your Corner,
Brad Tillery
BCS Fitness Studios
Why Strength Training Beats Pilates for the 40+ Crowd: The Smartest Way to Look, Move, and Feel Better
Discover why strength training is the superior workout for adults 40 and older. Learn how it builds muscle, protects your bones, boosts metabolism, and keeps you moving strong for life…from our team at BCS Fitness in Bryan/College Station.
If you’re over 40, you’ve probably heard someone say, “I just do Pilates—it’s easier on my body.”
We get it. Pilates feels good. It’s controlled, mindful, and helps improve posture and flexibility. But when it comes to aging strong, preserving muscle, and keeping your metabolism fired up, there’s no comparison…strength training takes the crown.
Here’s why.
1. Strength Training Protects Your Muscle…and Your Metabolism
Starting around age 35, we naturally begin to lose 3–5% of our muscle mass per decade. That muscle loss doesn’t just affect how strong you feel…it slows your metabolism and makes it easier to gain fat.
Strength training directly combats this by sending a clear message to your body: keep the muscle, we still need it!
Pilates challenges your control, but it simply doesn’t load the muscles heavily enough to stimulate real growth. Strength training does — and that’s the key to maintaining an active metabolism and a lean, capable body as you age.
2. It Strengthens Your Bones (and Prevents Osteoporosis)
As we age, bone density declines…especially for women post-40. The good news? Lifting weights or performing resistance training is one of the only proven ways to rebuild and strengthen bone tissue.
The light resistance and low impact of Pilates don’t provide enough load to trigger those changes. Strength training does, helping you stay upright, strong, and fracture-free for the long haul.
3. It Builds Real-World Strength, Not Just Flexibility
Being flexible is great. Being functional is better.
Strength training mimics real-life movement…getting up off the floor, carrying groceries, climbing stairs…and helps you perform those tasks with ease and confidence.
At BCS Fitness, we train our 40+ members to be strong for life. That means more golf without pain, more energy to play with kids or grandkids, and fewer “I tweaked my back” moments that slow you down.
4. It’s the Ultimate Anti-Aging Tool
Want to look younger, move better, and feel more energetic? Strength training improves insulin sensitivity, regulates hormones, and fights inflammation…the three biggest culprits behind aging.
While Pilates enhances mobility and posture, it can’t match the whole-body rejuvenation that strength training delivers.
In other words, Pilates helps you move gracefully; strength training helps you move powerfully…and that power shows up in every part of life.
5. It’s Customizable for Every Fitness Level
One of the biggest misconceptions about strength training is that it’s only for gym veterans. The truth? When guided correctly, it’s safe and scalable for anyone.
At BCS Fitness, our 1-to-5 small group personal training model allows adults 40+ to train with expert guidance in a small, supportive setting. Every session is prescriptive to your current strength, injury history, and goals.
No intimidation. No wasted reps. Just smart, sustainable progress that makes you feel confident inside and outside the gym.
The Bottom Line
If your goal is to look, move, and feel better in your 40s, 50s, and beyond…strength training isn’t optional, it’s essential.
Combine it with balanced nutrition, quality recovery, and a great coaching team, and you’ve got the secret recipe for long-term health, strength, and longevity.
Ready to see what smart, personalized strength training can do for you?
👉 Schedule your complimentary Longevity Strategy Session today at BCS Fitness and take the first step toward becoming stronger for life. 979-575-7871
Small Group Personal Training in Bryan/College Station
FAQ: Small Group Personal Training in Bryan/College Station
At BCS Fitness, we get it…starting a new fitness program comes with lots of questions. To make things simple, here are the answers to the most common questions we hear about our small group personal training in Bryan/College Station.
1. What is small group personal training?
It’s the perfect mix of personal attention and group motivation. At BCS Fitness, each session is led by a coach with no more than 5 clients at a time with a coach, so you’ll always get individualized coaching.
2. How long are sessions?
Just 30 minutes. Our workouts are designed to be efficient and effective, so you can get stronger, leaner, and more energized without spending hours in the gym. Most clients are in and out of the studio, warm up to cool down, in 35-40 minutes.
3. Do I need to be in shape to start?
Nope. Many of our clients begin after years away from exercise. Every workout is prescriptive to your current fitness level so you can progress safely at your own pace.
4. Where are you located?
We have two convenient studios in College Station & Bryan:
South Studio (3032 Barron Rd)
Central Studio (4301 S. Texas)
Both are easily accessible for Bryan and College Station residents.
5. How is BCS Fitness different from a regular gym?
Traditional gyms often leave you to figure it out on your own. At BCS Fitness, every workout is coach-guided and designed for adults who want to look, move, and feel better. You’ll never have to wonder what to do next.
6. What results can I expect?
Most clients notice:
Increased strength and stamina
Better balance and mobility
More energy during the day
Confidence in how they look and feel via a more toned body and fat loss.
7. How do I get started?
The best first step is scheduling a Strategy Session. It’s where we learn about your goals, review your movement, and build a plan that works for you.
👉 Call or text 979-575-7871 to book your session today.
Ready to Begin?
If you’ve been searching for personal training in Bryan/College Station, BCS Fitness is here to help. Your first step could be the one that changes everything.
Over 40 & Feeling Stressed? Try this out…
Ever have days when your shoulders feel glued to your ears from tension?
Or your jaw is aching because you’ve been clenching for hours without realizing it?
That’s not “just tension”...
That’s your body physically holding onto stress!
If you’re stuck in go-go-go mode, juggling work, family, and never-ending to-do lists, your body is probably struggle manifestation ...ex. carrying way more stress than you realize.
You already know it isn’t healthy to carry all that baggage, so here’s what you can actually DO about it:
Enter: “Somatic Stress Release”
It’ll help you release stress from your body instead of just trying to manage it in your head.
It might sound “woo-woo,” but it’s not, I promise.
It simply uses gentle movements and breathing patterns to reset your nervous system and build mind-body awareness.
Here are the most common places busy moms hold tension (and why it might show up!) ( do any of these sound familiar?):
Neck & shoulders: I’m carrying the weight of the world.
Jaw: Unspoken words or clenching without realizing it.
Low back & hips: Tension tied to feeling unstable or unsupported.
Chest: Shallow breathing, anxiety, or pent-up emotions.
Gut/stomach: Digestive upset or emotional overwhelm.
Below is a quick somatic release routine you can try right now.
TIP: It takes about 3-5 minutes and might look kind of weird, so you probably want to do it somewhere private.
Body scan – Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and slowly scan from head to toe. Acknowledge areas that feel tight or tense, but don’t let your brain go down the rabbit hole of judging yourself for being stressed.
Neck & jaw release – Gently roll your head side to side. Open your mouth wide like a yawn, then slowly close it. (This is one of my favorites.)
Shoulder rolls – Roll your shoulders up, back, and down 5-10 times. Breathe while you do it. (Rolling your shoulders back can also help counteract the effects of sitting all day.)
Shake it out – Literally. Stand up and gently shake out your hands, arms, shoulders, and legs.
Deep breath + sigh – Take a big inhale, and let it go with an audible sigh. Repeat a few times.
It seems simple and might feel a little strange at first, but building a strong mind-body connection can make a BIG difference over time.
Try it and let me know how it works for you!